Sunday, October 28, 2007

A thrilling Saumur Blanc

Every now and then I drink a wine that (almost) leaves me speechless. It's usually not wines that wow with their first sniff or sip, but rather wines that beguile - that draw you in, and as your attention becomes focused on them, they seem to reveal progressively more, engaging both intellect and appetite in a journey of thrilling discovery. OK, less of the flowery language - I just really, really like this sort of wine. It's what the 'old world' does really well.

Domaine du Collier Saumur Blanc La Charpentrie 2004 Loire, FranceA fantastic, complex, savoury dry white wine from the Chenin Blanc variety. A yellow gold colour, the nose is complex with notes of apples, pears, minerals, wax and dry straw. The mouth is savoury and minerally, and quite dry, with herb-tinged appley fruit and a flinty/matchstick reductive character that adds complexity. There's an acid tang on the finish, together with hints of apricots and pear-skin. I think this is quite profound - a really thrilling effort that should age gracefully for the next 20 years. With its distinctive character, though, I don't think this is a wine for everyone. 94/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene)

Nice post, Jamie. There's something about Chenin Blanc and Riesling I've found very attractive - when they're really done *right*, then they become wines that appeal to far more than just the tongue/nose on a basic level. I've gotten a lot of pleasure out of watching a couple of glasses of Donnhoff Spatlese or a Savennieres keep evolving and unravelling over a few hours with different foods, and producing sensations that are quite hard to describe - and that I've rarely come across with any other wines.

You're right, Salil. The tasting arc of such wines is fascinating and mirrors their ageing potential. If you decant a great Savennieres or Saumur that mineral tightness will begin to yield gently (but never surrender) and the wine will unveil fascinating secondary aromatics. Wines like this are invariably served too cold; like great Burgundies they require nurturing and teasing out. The Donnhoff Rieslings are beautiful, perhaps more ethereal and evanescent than the intense Chenins from the Loire, but, as you say, they describe a similar graceful and delicious pattern of development in the glass over several hours. Happy drinking!